Deloitte Reveals Their Technology, Media and Telecommunications Predictions for 2015

Deloitte, the international business advisory firm, is sharing its predictions of the top technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) trends that will unfold in 2015.

The company’s top prognosticators see this as the year when many more people will trust their smartphones to make mobile payments; Millennials will be recognized for their huge spending impact in the digital realm; and 3D printing will make a nearly $2 billion splash in the enterprise market.

1. The Internet of Things (IoT) really is things, not people: Sales of IoT devices will soar: one billion will be shipped, up 60 percent from 2014. Even though consumer usage of devices for home automation will get a lot of press, it’s predicted that 60 percent of all devices will be purchased and used by enterprises.

2. Drones: high-profile and niche: Yes, consumers bought toy quadcopters in droves over the holidays, but Deloitte is focusing on the higher-priced hobbyist ($300-500), prosumer ($750 and up) and enterprise model ($10,000 and up) of unmanned aerial vehicles. They predict sales of 300,000 in 2015. Your average consumer will use them for creative video photography; businesses and professionals will put them to work in endless ways, from surveying crops to assisting with search and rescue to distributing goods to areas that can’t be reached by road.

3. 3D printing is a revolution: just not the revolution you think: Worldwide sales of 3D printers are predicted to reach 220,000 this year, with a value of $1.6 billion. Deloitte sees printers embraced by companies and not consumers (who will be turned off by today’s high price tags and limited scope), with enterprise sales accounting for about 90 percent of the value of all 3D printers. Companies will use them for fast-prototyping, helping to bring products quickly to market.

4. “Click and collect” booms in Europe: Click and collect is the trend of ordering something online and picking it up at a convenient physical location (such as a store or locker) rather than having it delivered. With about half of Europeans shopping online, and because of drawbacks to traditional delivery (not enough capacity, recipients not always home, etc.), Deloitte believes consumers will embrace the flexibility of click and collect. The analysts predict that click and collect locations will grow by 20 percent in 2015 to half a million.

5. Smartphone batteries: better but no breakthrough: Deloitte predicts only a small improvement in lithium ion battery technology this year. Batteries will gain about five percent in unit charge compared to last year, assuming equal dimensions and voltage. The issue holding back a leap in battery life is the difficulty finding a battery chemistry better than lithium ion.